1 P ut the trumpet to your lips! Like an eagle the enemy comes against the house of the Lord, Because they have transgressed My covenant And rebelled against My law.

“Put the horn to your lips! Men who hate us are coming like an eagle to fight against the house of the Lord, because the people of Israel have sinned against My agreement and would not obey My Law.

2 T hey cry out to Me, “My God, we of Israel know You!”

They cry out to Me, ‘My God, we of Israel know You!’

3 I srael has rejected the good; The enemy will pursue him.

Israel has turned away from the good, and those who hate him will come after him.

4 T hey have set up kings, but not by Me; They have appointed princes, but I did not know it. With their silver and gold they have made idols for themselves, That they might be cut off.

They have set up kings, but not by Me. They have chosen leaders, but I did not know it. They have made false gods for themselves out of silver and gold, so they will be destroyed.

5 H e has rejected your calf, O Samaria, saying, “My anger burns against them!” How long will they be incapable of innocence?

O Samaria, I will have nothing to do with the calf you worship. My anger burns against them! How long will it be before they are pure

6 F or from Israel is even this! A craftsman made it, so it is not God; Surely the calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces.

in Israel? A workman made this calf, so it is not God. The calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces.

7 F or they sow the wind And they reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads; It yields no grain. Should it yield, strangers would swallow it up.

They plant the wind and they will gather the storm. The standing grain has no heads, and will give no food. If it were to give food, strangers would eat it.

8 I srael is swallowed up; They are now among the nations Like a vessel in which no one delights.

“Israel is eaten up. They are now among the nations like a pot that is of no worth.

9 F or they have gone up to Assyria, Like a wild donkey all alone; Ephraim has hired lovers.

They have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey all alone. Ephraim has hired lovers.

10 E ven though they hire allies among the nations, Now I will gather them up; And they will begin to diminish Because of the burden of the king of princes.

Even when they hire people among the nations to help them, I will now gather them together. And they will begin to waste away because the powerful king will make it hard for them.

11 S ince Ephraim has multiplied altars for sin, They have become altars of sinning for him.

“Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin gifts, they have become altars for sinning.

12 T hough I wrote for him ten thousand precepts of My law, They are regarded as a strange thing.

I wrote 10, 000 of My Laws for him, but they think of them as something strange.

13 A s for My sacrificial gifts, They sacrifice the flesh and eat it, But the Lord has taken no delight in them. Now He will remember their iniquity, And punish them for their sins; They will return to Egypt.

They give gifts to Me and eat the meat of the gifts, but the Lord is not pleased with them. Now He will remember their wrong-doing and punish them for their sins. They will return to Egypt.

14 F or Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; And Judah has multiplied fortified cities, But I will send a fire on its cities that it may consume its palatial dwellings.

Israel has forgotten his Maker and built great houses. And Judah has built many strong cities ready for battle. But I will send a fire upon its cities that will destroy its beautiful houses.”